Airport vehicles and grocery store delivery waggons fueled by hydrogen could provide greener and more efficient travel.

Airports and grocery store deliveries could become greener and more efficient due to an £8 million government competition to support hydrogen-powered transport in the North East, stimulate economic growth, and generate employment.

Today (2 August 2023), the Transport Secretary announced the two winning projects of the second phase of the competition, encouraging more businesses and innovators to develop new technology that uses hydrogen fuel to speed up the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

One initiative led by ULEMCo and receiving a portion of the £8 million funding will develop hydrogen-powered airport ground-based support vehicles, such as aircraft tow trucks and runway sweepers. 

This will be based at Teesside international airport, which can assist the airport in achieving its objective of net-zero emissions by 2030.

Another of Element 2’s winning projects seeks to create new hydrogen refuelling stations, thereby contributing to the infrastructure required to expand the use of hydrogen as a fuel. This funding will establish four new hydrogen refuelling stations with public access, increasing the number of refuelling stations in the United Kingdom by fifty per cent. These will fuel various vehicles, including airside vehicles, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), and grocery store delivery vans.

The announcement also confirms the delivery of £300,000 directly to colleges in the region to support upskilling the local workforce and nurture a specialised skills base and talent pipeline, further establishing the Tees Valley as the hydrogen capital of the world.

Mark Harper, Secretary of Transport, stated: “Hydrogen technology has the potential to decarbonise transportation and stimulate economic growth.” “The victors today demonstrate Tees Valley’s expertise as a pioneer in hydrogen technology development. This investment will further stimulate the economy in the North East by generating skilled jobs and apprenticeships.”

This funding brings the United Kingdom closer to decarbonising heavier and more complex vehicles, such as airside operations, essential for reaching net zero. Hydrogen fuel cells, already utilised in vehicles nationwide, produce no harmful exhaust emissions. A transport system that is resilient to worldwide energy prices, eco-friendly, and capable of creating tens of thousands of skilled employees could contribute to expanding the United Kingdom’s economy through hydrogen.

This funding also signifies the continued expansion of the only hydrogen transport hub in the United Kingdom, which will attract even more innovation, investment, and employment to the Tees Valley. The competition solicited ideas on surmounting some obstacles associated with scaling up hydrogen technology, such as large-scale refuelling and greening the region’s supply chain with hydrogen-powered vans and heavy-duty trucks.

Phil Forster, CEO of Teesside International Airport, stated: “We’re working diligently to make Teesside an airport that people can be proud of, and it’s not just because we fly to popular destinations. It is about acting responsibly for the benefit of our local communities and enterprises, as well as the future of our planet.” 

This hydrogen refuelling station accomplishes this by demonstrating that this new technology is safe, dependable, and applicable to various applications. This demonstrates that Teesside is a pioneer in the aviation and renewable energy industries. Following the first round, which focused on developing hydrogen-powered vehicles, this is the second round of government competition financing for the Tees Valley hydrogen transport hub.”

The victors of the first competition were awarded over £2.6 million to deploy 21 hydrogen-powered vehicles. 

One of the victors was Toyota, which supplied hydrogen-powered vehicles to local police departments, and Hydrogen Vehicle Systems, which developed a hydrogen-powered delivery van for supermarkets.

Ben Houchen, mayor of Tees Valley, stated: “We were one of the first regions to test hydrogen fuels, and this continues to pay off now that we’ve secured this permanent refuelling station.”

“This hydrogen station is another move towards supporting the cleaner and safer industries of the future at our airport and in our entire region, which remains at the forefront of the United Kingdom’s net-zero ambitions. It supports everything we’re doing in our low-carbon voyage, including supporting the production and adoption of sustainable aviation fuel – one of the industry’s most pressing issues.”

The goal of making Teesside Airport carbon neutral by 2030 is only the beginning. 

“At Teesworks, we continue to pioneer offshore, carbon capture and renewable technologies to firmly establish Teesside, Darlington, and Hartlepool as the place to do business in innovative and environmentally friendly technologies.”

The Tees Valley region has benefited from millions in government funding and private investment since the introduction of the Hub in 2020. Recent projections indicate that by 2030, the hydrogen industry will sustain over 12,000 jobs and attract over £9 billion in private investment.

Mike Biddle, executive director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, stated: “The announcement of these new initiatives in the Tees Valley today strengthens our partnership with DfT to accelerate the development of new technologies to decarbonise transportation. This includes nearly $300 million invested by DfT via Innovate UK in decarbonising maritime, heavy-duty vehicle, and hydrogen transportation.”

This type of location-based innovation is essential for revitalising local economies such as the Tees Valley. These initiatives are significant investments in the decarbonisation of transport and a boon for local innovation, investment, skill development, and business expansion.